Thursday, March 2, 2017

The History of Playing Cards by Astra Cielo 1917

The history of playing cards extends back five hundred years, and various stories and theories have been mooted as to how and by whom they were first introduced into Europe. Many Eastern nations—notably those of India, China, Chaldea and Egypt—possessed cards for divination and playing purposes which differed both in design and use from those known in Europe at an early date. It seems from ancient manuscripts that the wise men of the East regarded cards with great veneration and ascribed to them mysterious powers. They considered them mediums of revelation from the celestial powers.

Many authorities hold that playing cards were invented by Europeans. It is certain that they were known in Italy as early as 1379, and that the Moors and Saracens introduced them into Spain at an earlier date. The first cards were called "Nabis," and the Hebrew word "Nabi" means to prophesy. This gives weight to the theory that the original intention of cards was for purposes of
divination.

The earliest cards of which we have any definite knowledge were called "Tarots," which are supposed to have been the invention of a Jewish astrologer and cabalist. Various explanations are given as to the name. The science and divination by means of these cards were supposed to be found in the Egyptian "Book of Thoth," which Moses learned in the Egyptian temples and of which he guarded the secret jealously. Outside of a few packs in some of the museums, there are no tarot cards to be found. The pictures on them represented priests, popes, jugglers, emperors, devils and other characters. Later on numerals were added to the symbolic cards so that games could be played with them. At the beginning of the fifteenth century, Venice had games of cards composed of 78 cards, 22 containing symbols and 56 numerals. Later the size of the pack was reduced to 52 cards.

Suits and Symbols
There have always been four suits in use, but the symbols used had varied in different countries. Originally they were cups, money, swords and clubs. These are still retained in Italian and Spanish cards. Old German cards have acorns, leaves, hearts and bells. The French cards used spades and clubs, hearts and diamonds. The word "spade" comes from the Italian word meaning a sword. The club sign was adopted from the three-leaf clover. Many of the packs used last century were very costly and artistic. They were painted by hand to represent historic characters.

Mystic Meaning
To many people a pack of cards comes next in importance to the Bible. To others they are supposed to be the devil's own handbooks of destruction. They have exercised an irresistible fascination over the minds of men and women of all ages. A great interest attaches to the many possible combinations to be made from the cards in a pack.
It has been pointed out that:
The fifty-two cards represent the 52 weeks in the year.
Thirteen cards in each suit represent the 13 lunar months, and the 13 weeks in each quarter.
The four suits represent the four seasons of the year.
The twelve court cards represent the 12 signs of the Zodiac.

Number of pips on all the plain cards — 220
Number of pips on the court cards = 12
Counting each of the court cards as 10 = 120
Number of cards in each suit 13
Total equals the number of days in the year 365